Meeting Materials March 2021 – Electronic Meeting
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Commission Meeting Materials March 2021 – Electronic Meeting Meeting Overview NVTC’s March 4, 2021 meeting will be an electronic meeting, which is possible since Governor Northam signed into law a legislative amendment to provide authority for public bodies, such as NVTC, to conduct electronic meetings during a declared state of emergency when it is impracticable or unsafe to assemble a quorum in a single location. The public will be able to access the audio live stream through YouTube and Facebook Live. Action Items • Resolution “Finding Need to Conduct the February 4 NVTC Meeting Electronically” • Resolution “Authorize the Delay in Approving the NVTC FY 2022 General and Administrative Budget FY 2022” • Authorize the Chair to Send Comments on the WMATA FY 2022 Budget Other Meeting Highlights • Public Comment Received during Declared Emergency • Presentation by WMATA General Manager/CEO Paul Wiedefeld • Presentation by VDOT Officials on the I-66 Inside the Beltway Corridor • Reports from the Virginia WMATA Board Members, VRE CEO and DRPT Director • Legislative Update • Commuter Choice Update Table of Contents NVTC March 4, 2021 Meeting Agenda ........................................................................................ 3 Agenda Item 1 Opening Remarks Agenda Item 2 Consent Agenda.............................................................................................. 5 Agenda Item 3 Minutes ......................................................................................................... 11 Agenda Item 4 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) ....................... 33 Agenda Item 5 Legislative Update ........................................................................................ 42 Agenda Item 6 Commuter Choice Program .......................................................................... 45 Agenda Item 7 Virginia Railway Express (VRE) ...................................................................... 49 Agenda Item 8 Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) ................................. 77 Agenda Item 9 Executive Director Report ............................................................................ 80 NVTC COMMISSION MEETING THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 Via Electronic Participation Public Streaming Via YouTube 7:00 P.M. AGENDA NVTC is receiving public comment during the declared state of emergency, Persons wishing to provide written public comments should submit them by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 4 via NVTC’s website. Comments will be provided to Commissioners prior to the March 4 meeting. 6:00 p.m. – Executive Committee Meeting via electronic participation 1. Opening Remarks 2. ACTION ITEM: Approve the Consent Agenda (subject to approval by the chair) A. Approve Resolution #2440: Finding Need to Conduct the March 4, 2021 NVTC Meeting Electronically . Public Comments Received During Declared State of Emergency B. Approve Resolution #2441: Authorize the Delay in Approving the NVTC FY 2022 General and Administrative Budget 3. ACTION ITEM: Approve the Minutes of the February 4, 2021 NVTC Meeting 4. Washington Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) A. Presentation by WMATA General Manager/CEO Paul Wiedefeld B. WMATA COVID-19 Response C. Report from the Virginia WMATA Board Members D. Other WMATA News E. Report from the Chair of the NVTC WMATA Committee . ACTION ITEM: Authorize the Chair to Send Comments to WMATA on the FY 2022 Operating and Capital Budget and FY 2022 – FY 2027 Capital Improvement Program 5. Legislative Update A. Virginia General Assembly Session Update B. Federal Update 1 6. Commuter Choice Program A. Commuter Choice on the I-66 Corridor Round Four Update . Presentation by the Virginia Department of Transportation B. Commuter Choice on the I-395/95 Corridor Round Two Project Eligibility 7. Virginia Railway Express (VRE) A. VRE COVID-19 Response B. VRE CEO Report and Minutes 8. Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) 9. Executive Director Report A. Executive Director Newsletter B. Financial Report 2 AGENDA ITEM #2 Consent Agenda TO: Chair Cristol and NVTC Commissioners FROM: Kate Mattice and Scott Kalkwarf DATE: February 25, 2021 SUBJECT: Consent Agenda (subject to approval of the chair) ______________________________________________________________________________ At the March meeting the Commission will be asked to approve the Consent Agenda, which includes a resolution to conduct the meeting electronically and a resolution to approve the delay in the FY 2022 budget approval process. ACTION ITEM: Approve the CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve Resolution #2440: Finding Need to Conduct the March 4, 2021 NVTC Meeting Electronically The Commission is asked to approve Resolution #2440, which allows NVTC to confirm that the current declared COVID-19 public health emergency makes it both impracticable and unsafe for the Commission to assemble in a single location on March 4, 2021 to discuss and transact the business of the Commission. Furthermore, the resolution states that the items on this meeting’s agenda are statutorily required or necessary to continue operations of the Commission and the discharge of the Commission’s lawful purposes, duties and responsibilities. This is possible since Governor Northam signed legislation in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency to provide authority for public bodies, such as NVTC, to conduct electronic meetings during a declared state of emergency when it is impracticable or unsafe to assemble a quorum in a single location. Public Comments Received During Declared Emergency According to the legislation signed by Governor Northam in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (budget amendment 137: Allow policy-making boards to meet virtually during emergency declarations, Item 4-0.01), a public body or governing board convening a meeting in accordance with this subdivision shall make arrangements, if the means of communication allows, to provide the public with an opportunity to comment. In advance of the March 4 meeting, NVTC solicited written comments from the public via Google Forms through NVTC’s website. Comments received by 3:00 p.m. on March 4 will be provided to Commissioners ahead of the meeting and Commissioners will have an opportunity to respond to the comments at the March 4 meeting. Northern Virginia Transportation Commission 1 Agenda Item #2 – March 2021 Meeting Materials B. Approve Resolution #2441: Authorize the Delay in Approving the NVTC FY 2022 General and Administrative Budget The Commission is asked to approve Resolution #2441, which will authorize relief from NVTC’s budget approval deadline for the FY 2022 General and Administrative Budget. As discussed at the February 4 NVTC Commission meeting, the Executive Committee recommends waiting to approve NVTC’s budget until after the jurisdictions approve their FY 2022 budgets this spring and after updated revenue projections from the Commonwealth. According to the NVTC By-Laws, the executive director is to submit a proposed budget for the succeeding fiscal year to the Executive Committee for approval prior to January, which is then submitted to the Commission for action by its January meeting. Back in November 2020, the Commission passed Resolution #2423 delaying the budget approval process up until March 2021 while NVTC waited for revised state assistance projections for FY 2022 from the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), information that is important in the development of NVTC’s budget. NVTC staff, after conferring with NVTC legal counsel and based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, is seeking Commission approval to again delay the budget approval process in which the FY 2022 General and Administrative Budget would be submitted to the Executive Committee and the full Commission for approval no later than the June 2021 Commission meeting. This delay will not impact the FY 2022 budget since it does not commence until July 1, 2021. Northern Virginia Transportation Commission 2 Agenda Item #2 – March 2021 Meeting Materials Attachment #2A RESOLUTION #2440 SUBJECT: Finding Need to Conduct the March 4, 2021 Meeting Electronically WHEREAS: On March 12, 2020, the Governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency in Virginia in response to the spread of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, a communicable disease of public health threat as so declared by the State Health Commissioner on February 7, 2020 (“COVID-19”); WHEREAS: In subsequent Executive Orders, particularly Executive Order Nos. 53 and 55, as amended, the Governor of Virginia, among other measures designed to ensure safe physical distancing between individuals, prohibited public and private in person gatherings of 10 or more individuals and ordered all individuals in Virginia to remain at their place of residence, with limited exceptions, to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and prevent its spread; WHEREAS: The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission finds that it has a responsibility to demonstrate to the public, through the Commission’s conduct, the importance of maintaining proper physical distance from others and to avoid gathering in public where the risks of infection are highest, and to take measures that promote physical distancing in order to protect the public health and mitigate the impacts and spread of COVID-19, including, among others, conducting meetings electronically whenever possible; WHEREAS: On April 22, 2020, the Virginia General Assembly adopted, and the Governor signed, budget bill amendments to HB 29 that